A life of ups and downs is pure joy

"Are you scared by what happened in the ancestral hall today?" Xiao Yi took off his coat with Yun Xiang's help and walked straight towards Lin Qinghuan, who had difficulty moving.

"Being scared is not a big deal. Have you visited Nan'er? Daddy is really willing to be ruthless." Lin Qinghuan said with some displeasure. Now she is disgusted with the family rules of the Xiao family.

"You two go down first." Xiao Yi said after looking at the maid next to him.

"What's the matter, husband? Are you afraid that I will say a few more words to complain about father, and the servants will hear it and gossip about it?" Lin Qinghuan looked at Yun Xiang who closed the door of the inner room, and asked Xiao Yi with great dissatisfaction.

"I sent my attendants away so you can curse as much as you want." Xiao Yi said.

Lin Qinghuan chuckled, then quickly stopped smiling. "How dare I scold Daddy? I can only complain behind his back. In the past, you were the one who got beaten, and now it's Nan'er. I've seen it all, so how can I not feel resentful?"

"I just went to see Nan'er. Although she looked seriously injured, they were only superficial injuries. No broken bones. Daddy is still holding back. Don't be too angry. Nan'er's matter is something you need to think about in depth later." Xiao Yi spoke as if he was talking to himself.

"It's already like this, why don't you call off the marriage? If Nan'er marries him, I'm afraid her life won't be easy. They've already quarreled before the marriage, how can there be harmony after it?" Lin Qinghuan muttered.

"Do you think so too?" Xiao Yi asked.

"Any normal person would think so." Lin Qinghuan rolled her eyes at him, thinking that he was still stubborn and wanted to force Nan'er into the Shen Guogong Mansion.

"The Shen family said the same thing." Xiao Yi said.

Lin Qinghuan couldn't help but smile secretly, but then she felt that she was a little too naive, so she put away her smile and pretended to be serious. However, Xiao Yi saw every word and smile of this woman.

"Does the Shen family want to cancel the engagement?" Lin Qinghuan asked seriously.

"No." Xiao Yi shook his head.

"What? Nan'er still has to marry him. What did my husband mean just now?" Lin Qinghuan asked with dissatisfaction in an instant.

"Look at you, your emotions are clearly visible on your face, without any attempt to hide them." Xiao Yi pinched the woman's face helplessly and said.

"Why should I be so reserved all the time? Husband, please tell me what the Shen family's intentions are?" Lin Qinghuan asked doubtfully.

"The Shen family's idea of marriage is acceptable, but not Nan'er. After all, she can do such a ridiculous thing before marriage." Xiao Yi sat down and said slowly.

Lin Qinghuan stared at Xiao Yi with wide eyes, "This is embarrassing, isn't it? Concubine Chen doesn't even have a daughter, where can we find another Xiao Clan girl? Could it be Second Uncle?"

Xiao Yi shook his head. "Second uncle only has one son. However, Huan'er, there are some things I haven't told you. The Xiao family has more than one legitimate daughter, Nan'er."

Lin Qinghuan looked at Xiao Yi in surprise, then lowered her voice and asked, "Daddy has an illegitimate daughter?"

Xiao Yi stretched out his hand and gently tapped Lin Qinghuan's forehead, "Nonsense."

Lin Qinghuan rubbed his forehead and asked, "When did you have a biological sister that I didn't know about?"

"Liuxi has been registered under her mother's name since she was born. To outsiders, her name is Xiao Qianwen." Xiao Yi said.

"Xiao...Xiao Qianwen, you mentioned Xi'er, but...you mean to say that to outsiders, the Xiao family has two legitimate daughters?"

Lin Qinghuan was shocked by this secret. She had always been very puzzled. Even if Liu Xi was Liu Ji's niece, she would not be any different from Xiao Qiannan in terms of food, clothing, and even the layout of the courtyard. It turned out that there was this relationship between them.

Xiao Yi looked at Lin Qinghuan, who was shocked. "I forgot to tell you this, thinking it didn't matter much."

"But, if Xier marries into the Mansion of Duke Shen, wouldn't that be a substitutionary marriage? Xier will definitely not want to do that. She never thought that she would marry Shen Xin, whom she has never met." Lin Qinghuan shook her head and said.

"Xier has been well-behaved since she was a child. She always listens to what her father and mother say, unlike Nan'er who is naughty. She will agree." Xiao Yi was not worried at all and spoke very calmly.

"Husband, because of what Nan'er did, do you think the Shen family will treat Xi'er well in the future?" Lin Qinghuan asked worriedly. It was also out of selfishness. When she heard that Xiao Qiannan did not have to marry Shen Xin, she felt more secretly happy than any other emotion.

"The Shen family is a famous and aristocratic family and they won't do anything against etiquette. Xier has been familiar with women's training since she was a child, just like Nan'er. She knows a thing or two about music, chess, calligraphy and painting. And because of her background, she is well versed in medical knowledge. She is smart and won't suffer any loss if she goes to the Shen family." Xiao Yi said.

"Fortunately, Hongqi is a girl." Lin Qinghuan muttered softly.

Xiao Yi looked at her strangely, "What are you mumbling to yourself?"

"Oh, I was sighing that Xier probably didn't have any other thoughts, it was just a little sudden for her." Lin Qinghuan said quickly.

"Xier's matter has been settled. Huan'er, where do you think we should send Nan'er?" Xiao Yi suddenly asked.

"What do you mean by 'send it where'?" Lin Qinghuan asked anxiously.

"The entire Shen family knows that Nan'er assassinated Shen Xin. Now even the emperor and the queen know about it. Do you think it is suitable for Nan'er to stay in Jinhan City at this time?" Xiao Yi asked.

"I don't understand. With the Xiao and Lin families around, why should Nan'er be afraid of what she does?" Lin Qinghuan asked.

"You are quite arrogant, even as a little girl." Xiao Yi looked at the fearless Lin Qinghuan and grinned.

"In a few days, Jia Xu will escort my father-in-law and grandmother back to Luofeng, so let Nan'er stay with her to serve my grandmother." Xiao Yi said.

"Husband, this is a good idea." Lin Qinghuan said with a happy smile.

"In a few days, An Cai will also go to Tianmen County. Do you know about this?" Xiao Yi said.

"Tianmen County...why did An Cai go here?"

"When there was a riot in Tianmen, it was my father-in-law who volunteered to let An Cai and Bai Duguang go to quell the rebellion. If An Cai succeeds in quelling the rebellion, he will also be promoted." Xiao Yi said.

"But Tianmen is in such chaos. It will be very dangerous for An Cai to go there!" Lin Qinghuan said worriedly with a pout.

"Huan'er, since An Cai is a military commander, he has to shoulder the most dangerous national affairs. Suppressing rebellions and fighting wars are his duties. Out of selfish reasons, I don't want Nan'er to marry him." Xiao Yi said, and then shook Lin Qinghuan's hand. "Do you blame me?"

Lin Qinghuan looked at him for a long time, then shook her head. "Husband, I don't blame you. If it were my Ru'er, I wouldn't want her to marry a military officer in the future. Even if it was just an ordinary family, I just want her to live a peaceful life. I will protect her as long as I can. However, I will respect her wishes and will not force her. I will give her the right to choose. If she insists, I will do my best to help her."

Xiao Yi looked at Lin Qinghuan, whose eyes were very determined, and suddenly found that this weak woman was not that weak. She had a kind of tenacity and deep love for her relatives in her bones, which made people not underestimate her.

"Your sisters are mine. I will take care of them with you in the future." After Xiao Yi finished speaking, Lin Qinghuan smiled knowingly and nodded at Xiao Yi.

Liu Xi was indeed as sensible and obedient as Xiao Yi said. She had no intention of complaining and just nodded in obedience. The marriage between the Xiao and Shen families remained unchanged, and the wedding date had been set for early autumn.

After waking up, Xiao Qiannan learned that she would be staying in Luofeng for some time. She also learned that Liuxi had married into the Shen family on her behalf. She felt mixed emotions of worry and joy. She felt happy but also owed Liuxi. She remembered that since she was a child, she had been unwilling to admit that she was a legitimate daughter like herself, so everyone in the family only called her Miss Xi in order to please her.

"Sister-in-law, I feel very sorry for Sister Xi. Nan'er is wild by nature and has bullied her since she was a child. No one in the whole house dares to say anything. Now I owe her such a big favor." Xiao Qiannan said ashamedly to Lin Qinghuan who came to see her.

"I see that Xier doesn't remember these things. She still treats you like her own sister. However, you still have to tell her some things yourself, so that any knot in her heart can be untied." Lin Qinghuan said.

"I... I can't say it. At that time, her biological mother passed away, and I... I laughed at her. Now when I think about it, I behaved like an animal. I feel very upset whenever I think about it." Xiao Qiannan said embarrassedly.

"Xier is well-educated and well-mannered. She will accept it whenever you talk to her nicely." Lin Qinghuan said.

"Okay, tomorrow, I will go find her and let her know that I was ignorant before." Xiao Qiannan thought for a while and said with gritted teeth.

"No rush, you should heal your wound first. Drink the medicine quickly." Lin Qinghuan said, picking up the bowl of soup that had cooled down next to him.

The small kitchen in Qingbo Courtyard has been repaired and the couple has moved back. When Lin Qinghuan returned to Qingbo Courtyard, she saw Liuxi in Hongqi's yard next door. She walked in with some curiosity.

"Xier, what are you doing?" Lin Qinghuan asked while standing at the door.

"Sister-in-law, I had nothing to do, so I came to watch Hongqi practice with a knife. She is very good at it." Liu Xi saw Lin Qinghuan coming over and hurriedly stood up to greet her.

Lin Qinghuan saw Hong Qi stop the knife in her hand, but refused to come over, and looked at her in confusion.

"Hongqi has been acting a little strange lately. She seems unwilling to pay attention to me." Lin Qinghuan muttered.

But he saw Hong Qi glance at Lin Qinghuan, then sat on the stone table in the distance, still refusing to come over.

"She has a very strange personality. It must be because my sister-in-law has neglected her these days." Liu Xi glanced at Hong Qi, then said to Lin Qinghuan with a smile.

"Now Hongqi is closer to Xier than to me." Lin Qinghuan said with pretended complaint.

"I... I didn't... girl... you... don't be angry with me." Hong Qi was very sensitive and quickly stood up and said helplessly.

"Then why are you so unfamiliar with me?" Lin Qinghuan continued to ask when he saw Hong Qi looking so anxious.

"Girl...Girl...You shouldn't..." Liu Xi said hurriedly before Hong Qi finished speaking.

"Hongqi is tired, sister-in-law, I am also a little hungry, let's go to your yard to eat some cakes."

"Ah? What does Hongqi mean?" Lin Qinghuan asked curiously.

"She has never been able to speak, and she probably doesn't know what she wants to say. Maybe she feels that her sister-in-law hasn't taken her with her wherever she goes recently. Let's go back to the yard." Liu Xi supported Lin Qinghuan and urged them to go out. When they reached the gate of the yard, they turned back to look at Hong Qi and shook their head slightly at her.

Hong Qi was the only one left standing in the yard, looking lost.